Here’s a quick cheer-you-up for a Thursday. Can’t help but smile with this cutie!


 

Creativity is spurred by many things, one of which is newness. Exposing ourselves to new sounds, sights, tastes, and activities feeds our brains.

If you have a puzzle you’re trying to solve, such as “What to do with my life,” before you sit down to brainstorm, set yourself up for success by first changing the scenery. When you tackle a problem like “How to find a job I love,” don’t sit in your drab cloth-covered cubicle and recount what you already know: good boss, more free time, something meaningful, blah blah blah. Escape the cubicle and head somewhere new to find new insights.

Go to a new coffee shop, read a book on a topic you know nothing about, then spend the 15 minutes writing down 50 possible careers, from the practical to the insane. (Martha Beck says that if the list doesn’t include at least one illegal item, you’re not brainstorming hard enough!)

If you’ve gone through most of your life in one particular way (whatever that way is), finding a new way of being or a new job or expanding your business to reach more people is going to require some edge-of-your-box thinking. Start by getting yourself physically out of your usual surroundings. Go someplace new. Mix it up even more by filling all of your five senses with new experiences.

A change of scenery doesn’t mean you don’t have to live in Italy for two years like my friend Katrina, though I know that’s done wonders for her creativity. Take two hours to head the town next door, sip a blend of tea you’ve never tried, and read a book on a topic you know nothing about. After you’ve fed your brain, see what it can do for you. Ideas will abound. Now your puzzle solving is on the right track. Not over, but on the right track.

Then report back and tell me what you discovered. Did you find any new ideas on finding a job you love?

Photo courtesy of Katrina Sloma at www.kateyeview.com
 

This month I’m amping it up on gratitude. When I crawl into bed at night, I write about the wonderful things that happen during the day, from the simple to the amazing. When I do this, my heart swells and I feel a rush of joy from all the wonder that the world has to offer.

You can’t fake gratitude. It’s either genuine or not. To be honest, some days, when I climb in to bed and pull out my gratitude journal, I don’t want to write. I don’t feel it. It’s as if I’d rather stay stuck in my misery than write my way to a better place.

When I do write, when I recall the sweetness of the spring air, the heart-felt connection with a client, the deliciousness of a homemade lunch, or the coziness of a hug from my husband, some of the pain from the day fades away. I am reminded of life’s beauty and of what really matters.

This morning I am grateful for my warm, comfortable bed, the smell of early morning air, and a hot cup of coffee. These things are real life. They are my life. I am grateful for how they delight my senses.

Please share. What are you grateful for?
 

In April I chose two monthly themes to help me focus my energy in areas where I was looking to grow. For May, my two themes are Dance of Shiva and gratitude.

I don't understand what Dance of Shiva is, but funny enough, that's the point. It's fun, quirky, and something we're supposed to suck at. I've practiced it off and on for about nine months (okay, more off than on). I now want to put in some dedicated time. 10 to 15 minutes in the morning, followed by a 15 minute meditation. I'm looking forward to radical epiphanies and goofy fun.

In April I taught a class on Lizard Taming for Money Fears, and in our last class, we discussed gratitude. For May, I'm going to amp up my practice of gratitude in two ways. First, I have a beautiful new journal where I will write about the wonderful things in my life, throughout the day. Second, I have a smaller book I will carry with me when I'm on-the-go, to capture those moments of gratitude when inspiration strikes.

Do you have themes for May? Want to join me in either of these endeavors?
 

Earlier this month I mentioned that I choose two focus areas for the month: breathing and money. In the whirlwind of life and the never-ending desires to try new things, setting theses two areas of focus has brought me peace and clarity.

In my five-week class, Taming Your Lizard’s Money Fears, I’m following along with the participants and completing the homework assignments. There’s been a variety of tools and techniques for homework, ranging from using The Work on limiting beliefs to harnessing the power our the right brain.

We often look at something like money, or health, or our weight, or our career, or our love life and say, “Once I get enough of this or meet that goal, then everything will be okay.” What often fail to do is pull back the layers from these desires and see what’s underneath.

Why do we want a certain amount of money or to weigh a particular number or to have a set number of clients or have the perfect job? What do we think that will give us?

When we explore the reasons for these desires, we find clarity about our true desires. Security, acceptance, the knowledge that everything will be okay, a feeling of being loved. It can be anything. We believe that a certain amount of money in the bank will give us security or a number on the scale will make us feel accepted. Since the money and the weight are easy to identify, we reach for those things.

Think about what you want. It can be anything. Now think about why you want it. Pull back the layers from your desire. What is it you are deeply longing for?

Now, imagine that desire is met. Ignore the bank account. Ignore the scale. Ignore the career you abhore. You have safety. Connection. Love. Acceptance. Or whatever it is you are seeking. How do you show up in the world? Describe your day, the interactions you have with others, the feelings in your heart.

Create your future from this place. Drop the desire for a bank account with a particular balance. Step into the feeling of having your true needs met. This is how you can really get what it is you truly want.
 

On the way to making big things happen in life, know that you can get there, even if the road looks long and treacherous.

Rome wasn’t built in a day.
Babies aren’t made overnight (well, they are, but not made into a full baby, if you know what I mean).
Businesses don’t take off without the right up front work.

But Rome was built. And babies do grow to full term. And business do grow and thrive.

As you think about what you want to build, create, or grow in your own life, give yourself time. Everything begins as an idea. Plans are made,. Then steps are taken, one at a time.

Once you decide you don’t like your job and want to leave, a new one is unlikely to pop up the next day.

It takes time to think about what’s next.

It takes time for you to hear your true self speak to you and say what he or she wants.

It takes time to then act on those desires.

Give it time. Give it some space. All things can come to you if you truly want them and give them time.

What do you want that’s worth waiting for?
 

I can be guilty of being unnecessarily serious. In an attempt to lighten up over the last week, I decided to start playing with my food.

There are no children in our house, so funny food faces is far from necessary; my husband and I will eat our broccoli and spinach without a fuss. However, taking an extra two minutes to be creative with my dinner presentation was worth it for the child-like glee that followed when I saw my final creation.

Here’s steamed broccoli and a salmon burger.


Here’s pan fried polenta with spinach and cherry tomatoes, and chickpeas and sauteed mushrooms. A little parmesan cheese added a fun color contrast.


Where in your life can you be a bit more playful?

Enjoy!
 

In your life, are you working to survive the moment, or are you pushing toward something better?

“I just have to survive these layoffs...”
“If I can only make it through this rough patch...”

When times are challenging, we tend to focus on “making it through,” or surviving the tough times, instead of striving for something more.

Imagine for a moment that times are tough. (Maybe for you right now, this isn’t difficult to imagine.) You need to work hard to make it through the day or through the week. How does this feel?

Now, imagine that you have a vision for your future. You’re clear about what you want. You’re headed in that direction and your dream is slowly unfolding. It could be hard work, but it’s what you want to be doing. How does this feel?

Look at your life today. Are you surviving the moment, or are you striving toward something better?

Which do you want to be doing?

Even when times look tough, setting your sights on something bigger and going for it feels good, inspires others, and directs you toward your dreams.

What are you striving for?

photo courtesy of Pat :-) via Flickr
 

Change happens. We lose part of ourselves. Then we find a new way.

Heading in a new direction is like following a trail of breadcrumbs. We do not know the end destination, yet we can just barely see the next step. Each crumb we find offers us new information about our destination.

For some, this slow revealing is a fun adventure. For others, the mystery is agonizing. Whichever your disposition, know that the process of noticing your new information and narrowing in on your target is essential for arriving at your destination. Otherwise, you’d stop short of where you’re supposed to end up.

As you set out on your new way, write out what you know about where you’re headed--this can also include where you know you’re not headed. At the beginning, you won’t have much--that’s okay. Slowly you’ll find clarity.

Each time you find a bread crumb, add to, delete from, refine, and rewrite what you know. Notice what you can from each crumb. When you’ve gathered all you can from it, search for the next crumb.

Enjoy the journey. It’s an adventure to a yet-to-be-revealed destination. Trust that your true self knows how to find the way and the process of its unveiling is divinely timed.

Photo courtesy of Storm Crypt via Flickr

It is your soul’s duty to be loyal to its own desires. It must abandon itself to its master passion. --Dame Rebecca West

Do you believe you exist for a reason? Do you have a purpose or a mission?

I’ve come to believe that we all have a purpose for being on this planet. I don’t believe that purpose has to be something big and grand and complicated. For some people, it may be like that, but for another, her purpose could be “being a mother to these children.”

Back when I realized my life was headed in a direction that was not aligned with my true self, I began pondering this question of purpose. I’ve read various books on the philosophy of purpose. Each has given me a piece of the puzzle, but I know that the real answer will come from within me.

Last week I took a huge leap towards recognizing my purpose. I’ve pieced this together:

I am here to enable the right-brained, creative, spiritual, mission-driven healers and teachers of this world to get their work and healing out to whom they are here to serve.

There’s more to my purpose and mission than that, but the cards are still hidden. I have more to learn and uncover.

I’m curious. Do you believe you are here for a reason (even if you don’t know what it is)? Do you have a purpose or a mission? Please share.